President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the sentences of more than 111 people incarcerated in federal prison, almost all for drug offenses. This brings his total number of clemencies granted to 673 people.

Many of those who received commutations on Tuesday were victims of the disparity in sentencing between crack and cocaine. The 325 commutations Obama has announced this onth are the most from any President in one month, according to the White House, and have nearly doubled the total number he has granted while in office.

At least one marijuana lifer, Craig Frazier, was granted a sentence commutation; he’d had a clemency petition filed for more than a year now, according to activist Cheri Sicard of the Marijuana Lifer Project.

“Getting news of clemency for those serving life for marijuana never gets old,” said Sicard. “I am thrilled for Craig and his family.”

Michael Collins, Drug Policy Alliance:“The President is doing the right thing, but we hope to see many more commutations”[DPA]

Frazier had been incarcerated since 2005 on a charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and had been sentenced to 40 years for the nonviolent offense. He will now serve 8 years parole.

President Obama has been pushed to do more to release those serving time in prison under harsh drug laws.

“The President is doing the right thing, but we hope to see many more commutations,” said Michael Collins, deputy director at Drug Policy Alliance‘s Office of National Affairs. “We also need Congress to Act. Paul Ryan has promised a vote on the sentencing reform bill in September, and Mitch McConnell must do the same.”

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, spearheaded by Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), includes reductions in mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, an expansion of the federal “safety valve” (which allows judges to use their discretion to sentence people below statutory mandatory minimums), and will expand prison programming and early release, among other things.

Tony Papa, Drug Policy Alliance:“With this repetitive granting of commutations I hope President Obama is sending a clear message to Congress to join him and help change draconian drug laws”[DPA]

A similar bill, championed by Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), was introduced in the House. Both bills have strong bipartisan support, and are awaiting floor action.

In the House, Paul Ryan, has promised that there will be a vote in September on criminal justice reform legislation. McConnell has said nothing.

“President Barack Obama has shown his commitment to fixing a broken criminal justice system by once again granting commutations to 111 individuals, ” said Tony Papa, media relations manager for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Papa was granted clemency in New York State in 1997 after serving 12 years under the Rockefeller Drug Laws for a first-time nonviolent drug offense.

“With this repetitive granting of commutations I hope President Obama is sending a clear message to Congress to join him and help change draconian drug laws,” Papa said.

…….

Here is the full list of people who had their sentences commuted on Tuesday, as released by the White House:

· IBM Malik Abuhamid Waking Abdunafi – Baltimore, MD

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, at least 50 grams of cocaine base (crack), heroin, and marijuana; distribution of cocaine and cocaine base (crack); distribution of heroin; possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, at least five grams of cocaine base (crack), heroin, and marijuana; Middle District of Pennsylvania

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana; possession of a short barreled shotgun in furtherance of a felony drug offense; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession of an unregistered short barreled shotgun; Southern District of Florida

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

· Ronald Lee Blount, Jr. – Houston, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substance Act; Western District of Louisiana

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 151 months’ imprisonment.

· Walter Breland – Statesville, NC

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine base; possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; felon in possession of a firearm; Southern District of Indiana

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months’ imprisonment.

· Derrick Lewis Bynum – Hyattsville, MD

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; use of a communications device to facilitate narcotics trafficking (three counts); possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (two counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; District of Maryland

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and cocaine base; unlawful use of communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking activity; District of South Carolina

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

· Merlin Coleman – Chicago, IL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; use of a communication facility to facilitate the commission of the distribution of a controlled substance (three counts); possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Northern District of Illinois

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine and in excess of 50 grams cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine; possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; Southern District of Texas

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 2.22 kilograms of a mixture or a substance containing methamphetamine; aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute approximately 2.22 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine; Southern District of Texas

Sentence: Life imprisonment (December 15, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.

· James Dillehay – Akron, OH

Offense: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine; Northern District of Ohio

Sentence: Life imprisonment (September 10, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

· William R. Downs – Daytona Beach, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute; Middle District of Florida

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess more than 50 grams cocaine base; conspiracy to distribute and possess more than five kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride; possession with intent to distribute more than five grams cocaine base; Eastern District of Tennessee

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.

· Darryl Dewayne Edwards – Port Arthur, TX

Offense: Attempt to manufacture 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a felon; Eastern District of Texas

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; carrying or possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: Life plus 60 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 12, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.

· Craig William Frazier – Great Falls, MT

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute marijuana; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; District of Montana

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine and one kilogram or more of heroin; distribution of 2,006 grams of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 6.02 kilograms of cocaine and 996.9 grams of heroin; money laundering; engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; Northern District of Illinois

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute, and/or aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute five grams or more but less than 50 grams of cocaine base after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense; Northern District of Iowa

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; aiding and abetting the distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base; aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Texas

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments (two counts); Western District of Pennsylvania

Offense: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession of a firearm having an obliterated serial number; possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base; possession of a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime; possession of marijuana; Southern District of Georgia

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; principal to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; unlawful possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm during a felony drug offense; Northern District of Florida

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute in excess of 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDA or Ecstasy); aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 87 capsules and 1,419 tablets of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDA or Ecstasy); aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 27 grams of methamphetamine; District of Minnesota

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Eastern District of Louisiana

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base and more than 500 grams of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Eastern District of North Carolina

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a expire on December 28, 2016.

· George E. Smith – Riviera Beach, FL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute less than five grams of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school; possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school; Southern District of Florida

Archives

Facebook bans me often! Join the Toke Signals emaillist.

Join the email list to be notified when I post new articles. Since Facebook routinely bans me for little or no reason, this is the best way to stay up to date with Uncut, Uncensored, No Holds Barred, Non Corporate Controlled Cannabis News.

Thanks for subscribing! One more step: Please check your email and click the link to verify your email address.